Analysis of low-cost building material for the MixAlco process

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Abstract

The development of biofuels as an alternative fuel source highlights the MixAlco process
as one method to convert organic waste into alcohol fuels. The pretreatment and fermentation
of waste is integral to the process and represents a principal cost consideration due to the large
structure needed to encapsulate the fermenting materials. This research developed papercrete
as a potential construction material to reduce the cost of a structure. Papercrete is a mixture of
paper, cement, and sand. The strengths, thermal conductivity, and other physical properties
were compared with those of conventional building materials. This research identified
acceptable property ranges necessary for using a structural papercrete facility and recorded
compressive and tensile strengths that were too weak to build an economical structure. The
identification of a hybrid papercrete-concrete structure produced results and economics within
acceptable ranges. The papercrete-concrete alternative was tested on the same basis as the
papercrete for structural and economic analysis, which provided acceptable results. The results
indicate that a papercrete-concrete structure is a viable alternative structurally and economically
within a range of sizes for the structure.